Which calculator is best. 1

[JamesBarlow]

I wanted to ask for opinions about calculators.

I currently have an HP48GX, which I have had for many years. It has served me well and I am looking for a new one. I have looked at the HP49G, but I get the feeling that HP is geting out of the high end calculator business. They no longer make a USB connection cable and there are no plans on the horizion for a GX model.

I have also looked at the TI's, especially with the Voyage 200 comming out soon, but I don't have any real experience with them.

A little backgound. I am a graduate student in Mechanical Engineering and am looking for a platform which will allow me to do work in the class room and when I am away from my computer. I know I will not find a "Hand Held Mathematica" machine, but I want to get something good.

Any adive, insight would be appreciated.

 

[petersn]

check ebay

input your model number in its search engine - they have a few items

 

[Flores]

I use the TI 83 Plus. I use it daily, and it's worth it's weight in gold. Texas Instruments has higher end models out there, but this has served me well. I draw complex sheetmetal parts and machines in Mechanical Desktop 6, and I rely on the TI for speed and reliability. It is very easy to program, and I have written many useful programs for it(such as trig, geometry, and sheetmetal layout formulas.) Another thing that I like about it is that I can program it on my computer and then download it to my calculator. If you happen to look at the TI's, they have a higher-end model that even has "qwerty" input, but be wary of this model because it is not allowed to be used in college tests. (here in Dallas, TX anyway). Hope this helps.

 

[SErgini0]

TI83 is a slow small machine, if you are looking for powerful but small calculators, I recommend TI89 whis is a powerful algebraic calculator, I used this in University, then I moved for the more complex and versatile TI92/TI92+ but this is a huge bulky machine!
I know that there is a new TI model coming up early this summer, wait and see; check their website for more details.
I think, by experience that TI (texas instruments) is the best machines around, fast and reliable machines!). However Casio has some intresting models, CFX 9950, and CFX 9970 are pretty good but no match to TI83/89/92/92+.
There you go, I hope I helped a bit!
Ohhh by the way it's the TI92/TI92+ that halp the qwerty keyboard, and I've always used it in my exams!

 

[cowski]

Well for starters, you are completely correct about HP getting out of the high end calculator buisness (

http://www.hpcalc.org/goodbyeaco.php).

I have used TI and HP calculators and prefer the HP (I own an HP48G). If you are comfortable with the RPN input, I know the HP48GX you have will serve you well. If, however, you prefer algebraic entry perhaps a TI (or the HP49G) would serve you better.

There are free programs available that allow you to program on your computer and download to the HP (assuming you own a connection cable) as well as a wealth of user submitted programs at

http://www.hpcalc.org.

Whatever calculator you end up with, take the time to learn its programming syntax! It is well worth the time investment.

 

[Rich2001]

I have taught the use of graphing calculators (graduate course for education types) and presented at the several T3 International Conferences and own and used the TI-81 through the TI-92+ I recommend the TI-89. The statistical functions, simultaneous equation solver along the differential equation solver make it well worth its' price.

Add the convenient CBL2 and you have a good low-end data acquisition system. I have use this to monitor temperature in enclosures over a 24 hour period. This could very easily be implemented into a Statical Process Control System.

If you are going to use the system in presentations I recommend the TI-92+, it has the built-in interface for a LCD panel or calculator to TV convertor and a lareg screen. The V200 due out later this year may or maynot have this interface but has additional memory.

I never found much use for the Geometry features on the TI-92/92+. Though I could see if you did not want to carry a laptop to the plant floor it could come in handy for 2-d CNC designing and troubleshooting.

 

[wroberts]

My vote goes for the TI 89. You'll need EigenValues/Vectors for some of your classes, it does them. You can download programs to do LaPlace Transforms!, HP won't do that. There has never been any problem I couldn't handle using my 89. When i took a graduate bearing design class it did everything our instructor wanted us to do in MatLab. The equasion solver is easy to use and powerfull, the symbolic answers/calculatons are perfect. From my experience it's Maple in your hand. Without this calculator and my old favorite 82 I would have never made it through College

Will

 

TI top handheld model is TI89 and HP top mode is 49G, Both are 1.5Mb Ram.
but HP support RPN ...what is your suggestion on both calcuator.( i am using HP 32ii)


TI 89

http://education.ti.com/educator/product/graph/89.html

HP 49G

http://products.hp-at-home.com/products/detail.php?id=F1633A&j=1

 

[cowski]

wroberts,
FYI: the HP has eigenvalue/eigenvector functions built in and there are also downloadable programs for laplace transforms available (I did a quick search on the website in my previous post and found more than 6 different programs for laplace transforms).

 

[wroberts]

The TI has the Eigen Value stuff built in to. The only advantage to any HP calc is I've seen cards with equation sets for each disipline, something I haven't seen TI offer not you can't download other peoples equation programs to your TI. I personally hate the Reverse Polish Notation (RPN) I think 2+2=4, not 2 (enter) 2 (enter) (plus) gives you 4. I know from experience working problems in class that, my TI verses anyone elses HP, I get the answer sooner. The TI is also easier to use, Everyone else's HP may have had the EigenValue stuff in their HP, however I was the only one in the class that could make my Calculator do it. (1 TI-89, 6 TI-83, 14 HP)
Will

 

[gearguru]

I think that not the calculator but his owner calculates. It is just the matter how good you know all features of the calculator and/or it's programming and the topic which you need to calculate.
The polemics about TI/HP will never end. Both are excellent.
How about the PDA's? Does somebody have the experience in using these new toys for engineering calculations and creating custom programs for them? Please do not start the Palm - CE war here, I am just looking for opinions...
gearguru

 

[GregLocock]

If you are feeling rich, or you like the guts and glory of auctions, get a Toshiba Libretto and throw your graphical calculator into the river, or put it in your desk drawer next to your slide rule.

Then you can run MathCAD, Excel, Matlab and Mathematica.

if you want to.

Mine is the crummy old P120 based one, and since I bought it, haven't even switched my TI on. Cheers

Greg Locock

 

[FrenchCAD]

Got a TI89 here. I just like it.

And I own a Palm M100 too (to answer Gearguru) since a few time. Haven't try to make something with it but fill my agenda FrenchCAD
Université Joseph FOURIER
Département Génie Mécanique
Grenoble
France
cyril.guichard@wanadoo.fr

 

[butelja]

I have a Handspring PDA that I've just begun running MathU Pro from Creative Creek on. It's a pretty useful emulation of a programmable HP (RPN) calculator. It also has a 15 day free trial period.

 

[Imagineer]

As gearguru said, It depends on how YOU calculate. As a long time owner of HP's (bought my first one circa 1985), I no longer think in standard calculator mode. I think in RPN and stack. So, for me I will continue to use HP's for the rest of my life. But again, it's how you THINK. As others have mentioned you may or may not think in RPN. If you plan on using your calculator for a long time, then I suggest you get a low cost HP for about $20-30. (The HP32sii will do everything that you will really ever ask a calculator do to and it costs about$40-$50.) Spend about a month using RPN. At that point you will know if RPN is for you or not. IF it is, HP makes the finest calculators in the world and you will own/use one the rest of your life.

That being said, Greg is probably on the long term track. Get a laptop or palmtop and use MathCAD, Mathmetica, etc. BANG FOR BUCK, A PORTABLE COMPUTER IS THE BEST VALUE. Keep the cheap calculator and spend your money on a laptop and good software. Yes, my HP49 can do matrices and eigenvectors and eigenvalues and laplace and etc. But the reality is, I don't WANT to input a 6x6 matrix into it. I would rather do it in MathCAD where I can save the sheet and reuse it to my heart's content. Computers will win because they have a better interface and much more resources available.

BTW, software is where it's at anyway. All this talk about my calculator can do this and my calculator can do that, are all really arguments about software. The firmware stopped controlling a LONG time ago, which is why HP is getting out of the business. If firmware were the problem then HP would still OWN the high end market and be making tons of money. Alas, firmware can't compete with software and cheap hardware.


Imagineer

 

[GBAILEY]

James,

If you own a HP48GX you already own the best calculator in the world, IMHO of course. A chair got sat on the display of my 48 and broke it so I tried the TI-89. Wrong move for me. Being so use to the HP spoiled me on RPN and the stack also, the TI's just can't cut it for me for operational characteristics.

I bought a 49 as a replacement and it's a weak try at what the 48 is...the best calc of them all, again IMHO. The 49's keys are mushy and stuff is moved around and changed enough to earn my distain. So now I'm looking for a 48 to replace my broken one.

 

[swertel]

I own a slide rule. You can do anything you want with that: squares, cubes, logs. It's a great tool and I don't have to replace the batteries very often. LOL

 

[Boothby171]

I use an HP-48GX, and I love it. I do have one bone to pick with it, though: it has some screwy delays on numeric entry (type in your number, wait a second or two, number appears...) But its UNIT CONVERSIONS are great!

Watch out for the HP-49: there is, apparently, a much more convoluted approach to unit conversions. One of the engineers here got it, and regrets not spending less on the 48GX. Also, the 49 doesn't have the card slot on the back (if you want to do such things).

With respect to RPN--I've been using HPs since 1979, so I have no choice but to love RPN. I can't go more than 6 or 7 operations on a "=" calculator before I botch it up! Maybe these newer "algebraic" calculators have fixed the problem; I'll never know.

That MathUcalc for the Palm is pretty neat--I tried it for a while, and found that it pretty much replaced my HP for almost all of the features that I use.

 

[FrenchCAD]

TI 89 also posses a good unit conversion's system.

Gonna check this MathUcalc, seems interesting enough FrenchCAD
Université Joseph FOURIER
Département Génie Mécanique
Grenoble
France
cyril.guichard@wanadoo.fr

 

[sbi]

The best one is on your shoulders!
with a little help from what ever you like for a tool! to help

I have software on my desktop and notebook and still I use my
slide rule and a pad of paper when ever I am checking out a new product
that doe'st feel right.

remember, we put a man named Armstrong on the moon with slide rulers